Field Notes: Finding the OS with Nmap
Once you have a target IP or domain, nmap can tell you a lot: the operating system, the services running and their versions, and which ports are open. Here's the quick version of how the OS-detection side works.
Tag: #recon
Field Notes: Starting Recon with a Whois Lookup
A whois lookup tells you who owns a domain, when it was registered, and sometimes reveals more than intended. It costs nothing and takes seconds, making it the first move in any penetration test or footprinting exercise.